NCDOT awards contract to replace bridges on Fruitland Road

Published: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 5:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 5:04 p.m.

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to replace the bridges on Fruitland Road over Clear Creek (built in 1956) and Tazewell Creek (built in 1967) in Henderson County.

The bridge over Clear Creek is considered structurally deficient, NCDOT officials said in a news release. While the bridge is still safe, it requires extensive maintenance and repair and needed to be replaced.

Both bridges are considered functionally obsolete, which means that lane and shoulder widths don’t meet current standards, according to the release. The new bridges will be able to accommodate larger and heavier vehicles.

The $1.8 million contract was awarded to Buckeye Bridge LLC of Canton. Work can begin as early as Nov. 25 and is scheduled for completion by Sept. 15.

This project is an important investment in the long term viability of the state’s transportation network and will help improve the overall health of the local infrastructure, the release says.

This was one of 22 contracts worth $76.5 million awarded by NCDOT on the latest list of projects for roads and bridges across the state. They were awarded to the lowest qualified bidder, as required by state law. The winning bids came in $3.5 million, about 4.4 percent, under DOT engineers' estimates.

<p>RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to replace the bridges on Fruitland Road over Clear Creek (built in 1956) and Tazewell Creek (built in 1967) in Henderson County.</p><p> </p><p>The bridge over Clear Creek is considered structurally deficient, NCDOT officials said in a news release. While the bridge is still safe, it requires extensive maintenance and repair and needed to be replaced. </p><p>Both bridges are considered functionally obsolete, which means that lane and shoulder widths don't meet current standards, according to the release. The new bridges will be able to accommodate larger and heavier vehicles.</p><p> </p><p>The $1.8 million contract was awarded to Buckeye Bridge LLC of Canton. Work can begin as early as Nov. 25 and is scheduled for completion by Sept. 15. </p><p> </p><p>This project is an important investment in the long term viability of the state's transportation network and will help improve the overall health of the local infrastructure, the release says. </p><p> </p><p>This was one of 22 contracts worth $76.5 million awarded by NCDOT on the latest list of projects for roads and bridges across the state. They were awarded to the lowest qualified bidder, as required by state law. The winning bids came in $3.5 million, about 4.4 percent, under DOT engineers' estimates.</p>